


God Gave Us Strength And Courage

by melroihag



Series: The Walker Lister Chronicles [1]
Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ann(e)'s as mothers, Brother and Sister - Freeform, Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Nuns, Original Character(s), Orphanage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Wives, son and daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-24 16:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19727185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melroihag/pseuds/melroihag
Summary: Anne spots a little boy stealing from a baker's and follows him, never in a million years did she ever think she'd feel a maternal pull in her so strong that she falls headfirst into motherhood, with Ann right by her side.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I wish with every fibre of my body that the Ann(e)'s had adopted or had some form of children of their own. I know given the society they lived in meant it was next to impossible, but here's my take on what could've been.

Anne and Ann were spending a week in London, having been invited down from Halifax to attend Vere’s daughter, Anne’s first birthday. Being friends with Mrs Cameron now, Anne found no reason not to go to London and bring Ann with her. After all, with the business of the coal pits keeping Anne occupied every waking moment, she acknowledged that some quality time away, just the two of them, would be most agreeable.

Upon their arrival two days previous, Anne and Ann had gotten themselves into a routine. Every morning they’d go for a walk through the nearby gardens, when Anne received no objection from her wife the first day she asked, Anne couldn't help but feel relieved that her wife was feeling a lot better in herself, in comparison to how she has been in the past.

After their walk through the gardens, they’d walk past the local bakery and head back towards their hotel, where they’d enjoy a breakfast spread for the rest of the morning, before going to the Cameron Residence and spending the afternoon with Vere and Anne, Donald would catch them on their departure after arriving home, offering them the most charming of smiles, wishing them a lovely evening.

Today was their third day in London, both women strolling along the streets of London, hands grazing innocently between them as they swayed in time to their pace. Anne felt herself absentmindedly slowing her usually fast-paced walk, subconsciously not to seeming to want to rush Ann.

As they passed the bakery, Anne recognised the familiar sight of a little boy scurrying out of the bakery, the baker hot on his heels yelling empty threats towards the child. Anne had noticed the same child the day before, and the day before that. Curiosity got the better of her and she reached out to hold Ann’s wrist, leading her in the direction of the little boy who’d ran off down the lane beside the bakery.

Ann squeaked in surprise at the change of the direction, but followed her wife nonetheless, sliding her hand down to hold her wife’s properly. There were no prying eyes in the narrow cobble-stoned lane, so she feared no on-lookers.

Anne was too focussed on following the child to _really_ notice the affectionate gesture. The determination set in her brows and shoulders had Ann intrigued also.

“Where are we going?” Ann whispered, giving her wife’s hand a gentle squeeze to get her attention.

Anne shook out of her myriad of thoughts and raise her wife’s hand to her lips briefly for a swift kiss.

“I’ll let you know as soon as we get there.” she answered vaguely.

Ann’s brow furrowed and her grip on her wife’s hand tightened minutely.

Anne led the through the lane and out the other side. Looking both ways before crossing the street, Anne searched exasperatedly for the child, high above the heads of the crowd gathered outside of the various shop windows in the street, and low enough to see if the young boy had crawled his way through the hoard of people.

Ann was looking around aimlessly, at a loss for what her wife was searching for, when she spotted the small figure of a child climbing over a fence not too far away from them.

“Oh, Lord!” she covered a gasp with her free hand.

Anne’s attention fixed on her wife instantly, worry colouring her features, as she searched Ann for any sign of injury.

“What? What is it?” Anne searched her wife head to toe frantically, uncaring of the people who could see them standing so close, as plain as day all around them.

Ann pointed toward the small figure scrambling over the fence, and Anne just caught glimpse in time to see him jump over the far side of the gate.

“A-ha!” Anne exclaimed, dragging her wife behind her as went.

Dropping Ann’s hand, Anne pressed against the fence, trying to find an easier way to get through and fast, she didn’t want to lose sight of the child.

“If you go through the book shop, there’s a door that leads out back.” a man smoking a cigar provided, nodding toward the book shop right beside them.

“Thank you.” Anne nodded and once again set off, this time Ann was practically nodding to keep up with her wife.

Darting through the various customers within the shop, Anne reached the open back door just in time to catch the little boy turn a right.

By the time Ann reached the doorway, her wife was halfway down the cobbled street, rolling her eyes fondly and sighing heavily, she set off on the heels of Anne, wondering just what in the merry hell has gotten into her.

When she turned the corner, she bumped into her wife who was stood stock-still in the middle of the lane.

“Anne.” the blonde admonished gently, straightening her skirts before looking up at her wife.

When her gaze did reach her wife’s face, Ann saw nothing but concern and confusion etched all over Anne’s face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, briefly glancing around to see if there was anyone about, before reaching up and caressing Anne’s cheek.

Her wife’s touch drew her from her thoughts and she shook her head as she tried to make sense of things.

“There was a little boy… _is_ a little boy… I’ve seen him every morning since we arrived here in London.” Anne stated breathlessly.

Ann nodded encouragingly, despite not fully understanding where her wife’s train of thought was headed.

“Every morning after we walk through the gardens, we walk by a bakers… and every day since we arrived, I’ve seen him run out of the bakery with a small piece of bread.” Anne explained, somewhat impatiently.

Ann was completely lost, the look on her face saying just as much, causing Anne to pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh before continuing.

“Today the shopkeeper chased him out and I…” she trailed off into silence as she collected her thoughts once more.

“Well, I don’t know what I was going to do exactly, maybe make him go back and apologise for outright stealing from the man, but…” Anne shook her head and fixed her collar, the tiniest of pouts on her lips.

“But what?” Ann asked, her fingertip tracing the pout on her wife’s lips.

Anne didn’t - couldn’t - answer with words, instead she pointed abruptly to the building just down the street from them. The building where the little boy had crawled through the broken side-window of.

Ann followed her wife’s gesture and barely contained the pained gasp on her lips.

 ** _‘St. Augustine’s Orphanage.’_** the name of the building hit both women like a tonne of bricks.

Ann felt her feet move of their own accord, walking closer to the dark and grim-looking building.

“Ann.” Anne reached out to grab her wife’s arm but wasn’t quite quick enough.

The blonde’s feet carried her up the front steps and into the building, crossing the threshold giving her goosebumps alone.

Anne stopped outside, glancing up at the name of the building once more. A burning anger simmering within her at the smaller words written just underneath.

 ** _‘Home for unwanted children.’_** Anne felt bile rise in her throat and stormed into the building behind her wife.


	2. Two

Anne found her wife anxiously watching the little boy being scolded by an elderly woman.  
Ann gasped then, looking away just in time to hear a loud smack. Anne stood in shock, briefly registering her wife’s whole body flinch at the sound, in the corner of her eye.

The elderly woman sent the boy upstairs, a look of pure disgust on her face. Anne could taste the distinct tang of iron in her mouth, and realised the throb in her cheek was due to having bit down a tad too hard.  
Ann leant into Anne’s side, shaking slightly as she tried desperately to control the sudden onslaught of tears.  
Anne ground her teeth together, rest her forehead briefly against Ann’s, offering what comfort she could before she marched her way to the front desk.

Ann watched as her wife stormed up to the desk and wondered what on earth she was up to.

The elderly woman had her back to the desk as she busied herself with writing down, in what looked to be, a file of some sort.

“Excuse me.” Anne spoke between clenched teeth, unable to hide her obvious disdain for the woman.

The woman glanced up and Anne had to stop herself from saying something she’d possibly come to regret later.

As the woman approached the desk, Anne noticed the crucifix hung around the elderly woman’s neck. Having not paid much attention before, Anne almost laughed in disbelief at the fact the woman was a nun. She’d just witnessed a woman of god backhand a little boy across the face. The scene replaying in her mind had Anne needing to take a deep steadying breath.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked, the innocent tone of the woman’s voice only adding to Anne’s growing vexation.

“Yes, I’m looking to adopt.” the words fell from Anne’s lips without thought.

The woman’s eyes widened after giving Anne a look once, twice, three times over.

“Do you have an appointment?” the woman asked, diverting her attention to the ledger in front of her, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under Anne’s glare.

“I’m sorry, what?” Anne was shaken out of her thoughts, she hadn’t thought this through at all.

“An appointment, do you have one?” the woman asked, not quite meeting Anne’s gaze.

“No. Do I need one?” Anne asked, scoffing in disbelief, “It’s not as though you’re particularly busy now, is it?” she snarked.

Upon hearing the attitude in Anne’s voice, the nun squared her shoulders and levelled Anne with a look that had Ann gulping behind her wife.

“I’m afraid, unless you have an appointment, I can’t help you.” the woman smiled sweetly.

Anne narrowed her gaze minutely and nodded imperceptibly.

Turning to face her wife, Anne could still see the slight tremble in Ann and decided she wasn’t leaving without at least _something_.  
Ann stood in wonder at what her wife was doing, guessing partly that Anne didn’t quite understand what she was doing herself

“Right, well then… I’d like to make an appointment.” Anne smiled just as sweetly back, tilting her head condescendingly.

The nun’s eye twitched at this, causing a smirk to curve Anne’s lips.

“Have you a referral?” the nun asked, sounding bored as she diverted her gaze back down to the ledger.

“A what, sorry?” Anne sputtered, her patience wearing dangerously thin.

“You need a referral from the church, in order to be put onto a waiting list for an appointment.” the woman explained, with the slyest of smiles that really tipped Anne over the edge.

“You cannot be serious!” Anne exclaimed in disbelief.

“On the contrary, Madam.” the nun shook her head, clearly enjoying this a little too much.

“You’re **_seriously_** standing there and telling me that—” Anne was hushed into silence by Ann’s sudden presence at her side.

Ann placed a calming hand on her wife’s forearm, innocently enough, and spoke before Anne could open her mouth again.

“I’m terribly sorry.” Ann apologised, counting it as a win that the elderly woman looked at her more kindly than she did Anne.

“What my dear friend means, is that _I_ was referred here specifically by a Reverend Thomas Ainsworth. His letter of referral should’ve arrived by now, it’s been… oh, I don’t know, almost a fortnight since he told us he’d sent it.” Ann suppressed the shudder at having to speak that man’s name aloud.

Anne’s gaze snapped to that of her wife’s, clenching her jaw repeatedly to keep herself from expressing her - decidedly unkind - thoughts.  
The nun eyed the two women skeptically before returning to the ledger, trailing her finger down page after page.  
Anne tapped her foot impatiently, but relaxed somewhat from her wife’s hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“Hmm, I don’t see a Reverend Thomas Ainsworth here.” the nun apologised towards Ann, pointedly ignoring Anne.

Ann sighed dramatically and bat her eyelashes innocently toward the elderly woman.

“We were told that everything was in order before we made the journey all the way down from Halifax. It’s such a shame as Reverend Ainsworth’s gone on his travels. I don’t know when we’ll next be able to make the journey back.” Ann played to the woman’s emotions, noting that the elderly woman favoured her to Anne. 

The sister paused in thought, taking pity on the younger of the two women stood before her.

“I suppose I could overlook it… just this once.” she said, watching as the young blonde’s eyes shone with gratitude.

“Oh, would you?” Ann clasped her hands together, really playing the part.

“Yes, of course! Your referral may just be taking a little longer than usual to get to us.” the woman now spoke directly to Ann, completely ignoring Anne’s presence.

“You truly are a god send.” Ann thanked the elderly woman.

The nun had to write a few things down before she could take them through, at which point Anne gazed down at her wife utterly bewitched with Ann’s ability to pull the wool over the elderly woman’s eyes.

Upon seeing the sparkle of mischief in Ann’s eyes and catching the wink the blonde sent her way, Anne chuckled to herself, nothing short of impressed with Ann and what had just taken place. What could’ve gone incredibly wrong, had the favourable outcome she wished for.

“I’ll take you through now.” the woman ushered them through a big, old-looking door that creaked eerily throughout the otherwise silent hallways.

Ann took the lead with her wife close to her side, both stunned speechless wearing similar expressions of thinly veiled distress, as they inspected the disgusting living conditions of the poor children.

“Now, who was it you were told you’d be sighting upon your visit?” the nun asked as she led them to a room that looked like an office of some sort. Barely used and yet piles upon piles of paperwork were stacked high all over the place.

Anne barely contained the grunt of disgust at the thick layer of dust covering the desk they sat in front of.

“Hmm?” Ann hummed, she hadn’t anticipated they’d even get this far, she could feel her spurt of confidence fading and quick.

“Which child were you told you’d be coming to see?” the sister asked, her gaze turning skeptical.

“Ah, yes… what was his name?” Anne played along, looking to Ann deep in thought.

“You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve forgotten the name… we were told it was a little boy with sandy-coloured hair.” Anne added not a moment later, actively ignoring Ann’s pointed look.

The nun lifted her chin in the slightest of movements, one that told Anne this wasn’t going to be as straightforward as she’d previously thought. But before the elderly woman could utter a word, Ann spoke up shattering any comment from escaping the nun’s lips.

“Is there a problem, _Sister_ …?” Ann asked innocently, plastering that shining smile on her face, which softened the nun’s posture almost immediately.

“Margaret.” the woman provided, bowing her head respectfully.

“Sister Margaret.” Ann batted her eyelashes, brows raising in silent question.

”Not at all.” Sister Margaret’s smile turned stiff when her gaze landed on Anne.

“Right, well, will we be seeing him _today_ , or…?” Anne asked, her impatience getting the better of her.

Ann started coughing in the hopes to cover up her wife’s little outburst.

“I can't wait to meet him.” Ann spoke up, hoping to save the situation from deteriorating any further.

“Hmm.” Sister Margaret left the room swiftly to retrieve thee child, leaving Anne and Ann alone to think.

“What are we doing?” Ann mumbled to herself, the reality of their situation finally sinking in.

Anne didn’t reply, instead she sat fidgeting, knee bobbing up and down rapidly as her thoughts ran a million times a minute.

“Anne.” Ann whispered trying to get her wife’s attention, but fell silent at the door opening and a young boy was ushered into the room.

Anne found herself once again speechless as she took in the appearance of the little lad stood cowering before her.  
Sparing a brief glance at Sister Margaret, Anne felt herself reaching out a hand to the young boy.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you.” she said rather formally, and upon feeling all eyes in the room on her, began to feel the slightest bit self-conscious, causing the faintest hint of a blush to colour her cheeks.

The little boy looked up at the elderly woman and only when she nodded in encouragement, did he take a hesitant step forward and place his little hand in Anne’s to shake.  
He didn’t say a word but Anne could feel the tremble in the boy’s arm, no doubt terrified of the wretched old woman stood behind him, wearing no hint of a smile on her face whatsoever.

“This is my friend, Ann.” Anne softened her voice instinctively, as she motioned with her free hand toward her wife.

“Hello there, it’s lovely to meet you.” Ann couldn’t help but beam when the little boy waved at her.

“How old are you?” Anne asked him, tilting her head in curious fascination at the feelings stirring inside of her towards this young boy.

“He’s four years old.” Sister Margaret interject when the young boy looked up at her.

“Has he been here since birth?” Anne wondered aloud, unconsciously inspecting every inch of the boy’s face.

“No, he was left outside just over a year ago now.” she answered emotionlessly.

“Left?” Ann frowned, she couldn’t fathom the thought not even for a second.

“He was abandoned with a baby girl on the porch steps just outside. No note, no nothing and no one came to collect them, so he’s been here ever since.” Sister Margaret put on a sympathetic voice when addressing Ann.

“ _He_ has, but what about she?” Anne asked suddenly, her heart stopping at the mention of another _even younger_ child.

Sister Margaret huffed a laugh and wagged her finger in Anne’s direction.  
“Let’s not test our luck now, shall we, Miss…?” the elderly woman inquired, setting Anne’s blood to boil.

“Sutherland.” Ann sputtered out leaving the room in silence.

Anne raised a questioning brow over at her wife, and just as she was wondering what on earth Ann was playing at, the blonde gave her an answer.

“I’m Ann Lister and this is Anne… Sutherland.” Ann smiled a tight smile.

The nun once again glanced between them skeptically, not quite believing what she was hearing, and yet never once voiced her concerns.

“What’s your name?” Ann asked the little boy, trying to change the subject so as not to draw any more attention to the obvious lies, that were stacking up by the hour.

Once again the little boy looked up at the nun, then back towards the two women and shrugged his shoulders.

“You?” he mumbled, unsure if that was the answer they were looking for.

“No, see… My name is Anne. My friends call me Anne, my family call me Anne. What do your friends call you?” Anne tried to put it into basic terms for the child understand.

“Boy?” he replied, before peering up at the nun again, this time with an adorably confused frown forming on his face.

“I don’t understand.” Anne spoke directly to the sister whose expression was a mix between annoyance and worry.

“Like I said, he came to us with no note, so we didn’t know his name. We could barely get a word out of him.” Sister Margaret tried to explain, but found herself falling silent when she saw Anne rise slowly from where she was sat.

“I beg your pardon?” Anne failed to hide the venom in her tone now, or the look of utter indignation from her face.

“Anne.” the blonde tried to soothe her wife, despite knowing it was a lost cause.

“You’re telling me that he’s been living under this roof and has only been referred to as _‘You’_ and _‘Boy’_?” she asked in disbelief, finally putting his words together in her head.

Ann stayed silent, wanting to know the answer herself.  
The subtle look of defeat on the nun’s face said it all, and Ann felt all the air from her lungs escape her in one full swoop.

“We’ll take him. And _her_ for that matter.” Anne spoke before fully thinking it through.

Anne could feel a stinging behind her eyes and found herself biting the inside of her cheek once again, to try and stop herself from letting even a single tear fall.  
Ann had never seen her wife so torn before, and much like her wife, spoke before fully thinking it through.

“I’m not separating a young boy from his little sister. So, I’ll have both.” she said, squaring her shoulders.

Despite the smile on her face she dared the elderly woman to challenge her.

“Sorry?” Sister Margaret balked, mouth gaping as she tried to find words.

“If it’s money, then I can assure you, money isn’t an issue. In fact, I’ll go to the bank right now and have a cheque written up.” Ann couldn’t remember a time where she’d felt this strongly and sounded this confident.

Anne gazed at her wife with watery eyes and thanked god for giving her a wife like Ann.  
Sister Margaret’s gaze narrowed at them both and her grip on the boy’s shoulder tightened.

“Is there a problem?” Anne cleared her throat, fixing her collar impatiently.

“How much will it be? For them both.” Ann asked calmly, her gaze landing on the scared little boy.

Anne zoned out, all she could focus on was the little boy. She knelt back down and held her hand out towards him, a smile curving her lips as he shrugged out of the nun’s hold and shuffled over towards her.

“You’re alright, see?” she murmured softly, licking the pad of her thumb and wiping off a smudge of black soot from his cheek.

The little boy wrung his hands in front of him but managed a small smile towards her.  
Ann just about paid attention to Sister Margaret regarding the financial side of things, her heart swelling at the sight of her wife and the little boy interacting.

“I’ll just go and get one of the Sister’s to bring her down, so you can meet her. It’s up to you whether you go to the bank today or tomorrow for your preferred method of payment.” the elderly woman spoke directly to Ann, posture stiff as she left the room.

“Sutherland?” Anne whispered, glancing over at her wife.

“I panicked! I assumed the children would take your name, not that I’ve imagined us having children… well, actually that’s not true… but that’s besides the point. Plus if we’re to live at Shibden as a family, we’ll be the Lister’s, will we not? Well, I mean, technically speaking I won’t be… publicly…” Ann rambled on as fast as her thoughts were spinning.

Anne raised a brow at the information that Ann had thought of them having children, despite knowing it was impossible for them to bear their own biological children, just the fact Ann had even given it a thought was enough to make Anne a little weak in the knees.  
Overwhelmed with affection for the blonde, she watched amusedly as her wife continued her spiel.

“…and she didn’t seem to take too kindly to _you_ , so I thought if _I_ pretended _I_ was a Lister, then their names on the paperwork would be Lister’s too.” the blonde shook head head to steady her train of thought, peering over at her wife who was smirking at her.

Ann could almost feel the blush colour her cheeks under her wife’s fond gaze.

“I don’t imagine Sister Margaret would think to argue with you.” Anne teased gently, shooting her wife a wink before returning her attention to the little boy standing awkwardly before her.

Gently guiding him a few steps closer towards her, with the hand she held of his, she turned him from side to side inspecting him all over.  
A nervous look came over him as Anne hummed in assessment. Ann rolled her eyes at her wife’s antics and came to kneel beside her.

“How are you feeling?” Anne asked the boy suddenly, taking both Ann and the little one by surprise.

He shrugged in response, causing Ann’s heart to squeeze painfully.

 _“You don’t need to be frightened.”_ Ann whispered to him kindly, a flashback of hearing Anne once say that to her replayed in her mind’s eye, lifting her lips into a friendly smile. 

The little boy looked down at his feet bashfully, his cheeks flushing a light pink from all the attention he clearly wasn’t used to receiving.  
Ann reached out to brush his long hair out of his eyes and grinned when he smiled at her briefly.  
Anne’s heart almost gave out just witnessing the interaction.

Before either of them could say another word, the door opened and another nun, much younger than Sister Margaret, entered holding a young girl barely older than fifteen months, Anne would’ve guessed.  
Upon seeing his sister, the boy bolted to the young woman’s side reaching up towards the little girl desperately. Sister Margaret scolded him with a harsh whisper and smack to the back of the head.

Ann reached out and tugged the little boy to her, cradling him against her skirts, purposely avoiding the elderly woman’s stare as she gently rubbed the back of his head, whispering soothing words to try and stop the tears from filling his bright blue eyes.

Anne bit her tongue to prevent her from saying something she’d come to regret, and instead reached out for the baby girl, sighing in relief as she registered the slight weight in her arms.  
As soon as the little girl was placed in Anne’s arms, the dark-haired beauty nuzzled her face into Anne’s collar, settling almost instantly.  
Both Anne and Ann completely forgot that there were in fact two Sister’s in the room, both completely captivated by the child in their arms.

Ann picked the little boy up and brought him over to Anne, excited herself, to see him interact with his little sister.  
Anne shuffled the little one in her arms so she was cradled in her arms, instead of tucked against her chest.  
Both women watched intently as he gently brushed his fingertips across her forehead ever so gently.  
What they didn’t expect was for him to lean out of Ann’s arms to press a little kiss to his sister’s forehead also.

“Does she have a name?” Anne found herself asking him, gently bouncing the slumbering babe in her arms.

The little boy rest back against Ann’s chest, the fingers of his left hand tangling in her curls as he thought for a moment.  
Again, instead of a verbal answer, he shrugged.  
Ann marvelled at how comfortable the young boy was to be in her arms, playing with her hair.  
Anne felt herself fall even more hopelessly in love with her wife, upon seeing the sparkle of sheer delight in Ann’s bright blues and the most breathtaking smile on the blonde’s face as she gazed lovingly at the young boy in her arms.

There was no turning back now, they were both absolutely besotted and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Hmm, how about Mary-Ann?” Anne suggested to him, gesturing to the little girl in her arms as she stroked a fingertip over dark hair.

Ann tilted her head adorably as she waited for him to respond.  
The little boy hummed aloud, similar to that of what Anne had done when assessing him not moments earlier.  
The sound causing a giggle to fall from Ann’s lips as she hugged him a little closer.  
Upon his solid nod of approval, Anne held the little girl out slightly, taking a good look at her before announcing.

“Mary-Ann Elizabeth Walker Lister.” she avoided making eye contact with Ann, after she heard Sister Margaret clear her throat, reminding them of the nun’s presence.

“And what about you, young Sir?” Ann asked and tickled the little boy’s side, giggling when he wriggled and laughed in her arms, hiding his face in the crook of her neck.

When she received no answer, she smiled over at Anne and twisted so she could see his face a little better.

“What do you think?” Anne asked her, taking Ann by surprise again.

Ann raked a hand through his unruly, sandy-coloured locks whilst watching her wife’s curious gaze land on him.

“How about… Samuel… John…?” Ann suggested, counting a triumph when Anne met her gaze upon hearing her brother’s name. She smiled fondly at the wetness she saw building in her wife’s eyes. Anne cleared her throat and nodded in approval.

  
“Samuel John Walker Lister.” Anne announced, like she had with the little girl’s name.

“What do you think, hmm?” she asked as she reached over to rub a hand across his back gently.

When he peered over at her, Anne’s smile softened the tiniest bit, Ann only noticed it because she knew her wife so well.

“Do you like it? You can be called Sam for short, if you’d like?” she spoke so tenderly, it honestly was sending her through a loop just how much on an effect these two children already had on her.

“Yes, please.” he mumbled shyly, giggling when Ann nuzzled her nose into his cheek.

“Good boy!” Ann praised in a whisper giving him a little squeeze, much like the one her heart gave her at the sight of her wife being so good with the children.

“And manners, too? You’ve certainly hit the jackpot here, Miss Lister.” Anne winked at her wife because the Sister’s weren’t in her line of sight, and therefore couldn’t see the affectionate gesture.

Ann bit her lip to stifle a giggle as she reached up to stroke her thumb across the little girl’s forehead, in Anne’s arms.

Anne was anxiously to leave and soon, the thought of Sister Margaret changing her mind causing her stomach to twist uncomfortably.

“Shall we get started on the paperwork then?” Anne turned to the elderly woman whilst gently rocking the still-sleeping baby in her arms.

Before the younger nun could get a word out, no doubt in offer to help them, Sister Margaret cut her off abruptly.

“There’s the matter of payment first.” the elderly woman smiled insincerely.

Anne noticed her wife’s shoulders drop out of the corner of her eye and had to take a deep breath to stop herself - once again - from saying something that could jeopardise their situation.

“Well, that’s an easy fix. We can start the paperwork whilst Miss Lister goes across the street to the bank to retrieve the cheque. Surely, it can’t be that much of a hurdle to overcome, now is it?” Anne tried to charm the younger of the two Sister’s, smiling as the woman looked away with a blush.

“Yes, of course.” the younger Sister agreed, actively avoiding Anne’s gaze, whilst at the same time was on the receiving end of the most lethal glare Anne had ever witnessed, from Sister Margaret herself.

“Actually, I’ll go. You stay with the children, I won’t be long.” Anne suggested, giving Ann a pointed look and silently prayed that she’d go along with it.

Ann nodded imperceptibly and clutched the little boy closer, “Would you mind? You’re such a good friend.” Ann played along, trying desperately to hide the nerves she felt.

“Won’t she have to sign the cheque?” Sister Margaret piped up, eyeing the pair skeptically again.

Anne barely suppressed an eye-roll before turning to face the elderly woman, with her most charming of smiles.  
“Quite right, we won’t be too long.” she managed to speak through clenched teeth.

Anne handed the little girl reluctantly over to the younger nun, feeling an awful ache in her chest at the thought of leaving them both, even if it were for ten minutes or so.  
Ann tried to put the little boy down but with his arms clasped firmly around her neck, she couldn’t.

“Samuel…” Anne went around the back of Ann to try and get the little boy to look at her.

He peered over Ann’s shoulder at her, eyes red-rimmed and watery with unshed tears.  
“We’re coming back for you. For the _both_ of you. _I promise._ ” Anne whispered, wiping the single tear that fell down his little cheek.

He pulled back ever so slightly to look Ann in the eye and her heart broke at the look of fear in his watery gaze.

“We’ll be back before you know it.” Ann promised and caressed his cheek gently, blinking back tears of her own as she tried to rouse a smile out of him, by wearing one of her own.

He relinquished his grip on Ann and she placed him on the ground, pressing a chaste kiss to the crown of his head.  
The younger of the two nun’s came to his side then, crouching down and tried distracting him with letting him see his little sister up close.

It worked and Ann offered the young woman a grateful smile as she followed Anne out of the room, her pace matching that of Anne’s usual fast-pace, as she exited the building in search for the nearest bank they could find.


	3. three

Anne had been unusually quiet since herself and Ann had left the orphanage in search of the nearest bank. Ann impressively keeping pace with her wife as they darted between on-coming carriages, trying to cross the street. The only time Ann teared her wife speak was to a stranger, asking where the nearest bank was in proximity to where they currently stood, and upon receiving her answer, she’d set off again, quietly deep in thought.

Ann wasn’t blind, she noticed each and every one of her wife’s nervous ticks whilst she stood waiting for the cheque to be drawn up. Anne stood a bit aways from her, pacing back and forth, either fixing her collar repeatedly or checking her watch every other second. Ann grew dizzy just watching her.

Returning her attention to the desk she leant on in front of her, Ann finally began processing just exactly what was happening. Why she was even _in_ the bank, in the first place, and a momentary white-hot panic ran through her. That is, until the little boy’s face entered her mind. **_Samuel_** , just the thought of him already quashed any and all worries, which was bizarre in and of itself. She’d not even known the child a full hour before she was naming and claiming him as her own. Not just him either, his little sister too!

Ann had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed her wife’s presence by her side, until Anne jolted her from her thoughts with something she didn’t see coming.

“Walker.” the name fell from Anne’s lips with no context, leaving Ann at a loss as to what her wife was getting at.

Upon seeing the confusion on Ann’s face, Anne glanced around quickly before lowering her voice so only Ann could hear.

“Your signature will say Ann Walker. Not Lister. She’ll know. She already suspects something’s wrong.” Anne voiced her concerns and Ann frowned, she’d never seen her wife in such a state as this before, and if she weren’t feeling as uncharacteristically calm herself, she may have began to doubt everything altogether.

Ann placed her hand on her wife’s arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze, all whilst wearing a relaxed smile on her face as Anne’s anxious gaze met her own.  
“I’ll just say that my husband and I have only just recently married, and that I haven’t had time to change my name on my account, due to having been on our honeymoon since.” Ann shrugged as if it were the most obvious explanation she could give.

Anne mulled it over for a solid minute and half before relenting and exhaling all her built-up anxieties.

“Hm, I suppose that could work.” Anne mumbled, mostly to herself.

“It _will_ work.” Ann promised, caressing her wife’s arm with her thumb whilst they waited for the attendant to return with the cheque.

It wasn’t often, in fact it almost never happened, where Anne found herself the more panicked of the two. She stood in silent amazement of just how confident her wife was that everything would sort itself out.

Ann noticed the look on her wife’s face and blushed.

“It’s a big risk.” Anne whispered, her fingers now tapping on the desk before them.  
“ _You know_ , a wise woman once said… we’re not alive, unless we’re taking the odd risk.” Ann murmured with a hint of mischief in her eyes, acutely aware of prying eyes as she took a minute step closer to her wife, gazing softly up at her.

Anne closed her eyes briefly, as a grin stretched across her face, a soft chuckle escaping her as she shook her head slightly. Her wife truly was remarkable.

The bank attendant returned, causing both women to step apart whilst Ann all but snatched the cheque out of the man’s hands, dabbed the pen into the inkwell and scribbled her signature across the bottom.

Hastily making their exit after confirming that all was in order, Ann felt excitement rush through her as Anne led them back toward St. Augustine’s.

She clutched the cheque in one hand, to her chest, protecting it like the prized possession it was, whilst Anne had hold of her other carefully guiding them both through the hoards of people on the busy street, then expertly dodging the on-coming carriages once more, until they came to a halt on the porch steps of the orphanage.

Anne glanced over to her wife, time seeming to slow down as she took a moment to fully appreciate this moment.

If you’d told Anne earlier that morning, that by dinner-time later that evening, she’d be a mother to two children, she would’ve kindly offered to put you in touch with her friend Dr Belcombe, as clearly you were delusional. Yet, here she stood outside of St. Augustine’s with her wife by her side, just moments away from becoming mothers. Goosebumps raised at the thought and Anne couldn’t stop the proud smile from adorning her face.

“Are you ready?” Anne asked, despite the smile on her face, her tone was nothing but serious.

“ ** _Yes._** ” Ann beamed up at her, answering her as easily as she had that day on the hill, when Anne had asked her to take the sacrament with her.

Anne took the last remaining few steps and held the heavy wooden door open for her wife.

Ann crossed the threshold, falling into step with Anne as soon as her wife had closed the door behind them.

A different Sister was manning the front desk as they walked in, and were told to go right on through. Not before the woman gave Anne an - all too common - judgemental once over.

They walked in companionable silence until they reached the door, their smiles falling from their faces as they heard the sounds of wailing come from behind the door.

Anne knocked twice, sharing a worried glance with her wife, until the door opened revealing Sister Margaret and the little boy, alone in the room.

Samuel’s face was red and puffy. He struggled to gain control of his breathing as tiny heart wrenching sobs clawed their way from his chest.

Immediately Anne felt her defences shoot up and the stormed into the room, Ann not far behind.

Rushing to his side, Ann dropped to her knees and Sam all but collapsed against her, his tears soaking her shoulder as she gently wrapped her arms around him.

Anne felt her stomach drop when she found no sign of the little girl or the younger Sister in the room, and she turned to face Sister Margaret with the most murderous of glares.

“Where is she?” Anne barked, taking a second to look over at the little boy shaking with sobs in her wife’s arms.

Ann caught her wife’s stare, panic etched into her features as she rubbed soothing circles with her hand on his back, in an attempt to stifle his cries.

Sister Margaret clearly didn’t appreciate being spoken to in that tone, and therefore took a pregnant pause before answering.

“Another couple arrived shortly after you left and requested to see her.” the elderly woman explained in the most innocent of voices.

In that moment, Anne was fairly certain she’d never felt the inclination to kill someone quite so powerfully as she did right there and then.

“ _Excuse_ me?” she choked out, hands gesturing wildly as she halted from pacing around the room.

Sister Margaret opened her mouth in an attempt to speak, but Anne didn’t let a word leave her lips before she closed the distance and got a little too close to the woman.  
“Now, you listen here… that little girl is coming home with m— my friend Ann and little Samuel.” Anne smoothed over the almost-slip expertly.

“Now, just a moment—” the elderly woman began, but was cut off abruptly.

“We had an agreement, for crying out loud!” Anne belted out, her hands trembling from struggling to contain the rage storming within her.

Before another word could be spoken, Ann appeared beside her wife with Samuel in her arms. The blonde balanced the sniffling boy on her hip and with her free hand, shoved the cheque into Sister Margaret’s hands.

“ ** _Bring me my daughter._** ” Ann’s tone left no room for interpretation. The quiet fury radiating from her was enough to leave even Anne mildly concerned for the nun’s safety, too.

Sister Margaret’s gaze flickered between the two women briefly, before she exited the room without a word.

As soon as the door closed, Anne took her wife and the small boy into her arms. She blinked back tears as she registered her wife refer to the baby girl as her _daughter_. Anne took a deep breath in and then exhaled the longest sigh, Ann would wager, she’d ever heard.

Samuel had stopped crying, instead hiccuping every few minutes and Anne watched as his tiny finger traced over the little gold gondola that was pinned to her wife’s shawl. The action seeming to soothe him almost.

Her attention was brought back by the sound of footsteps and Anne took a step back, putting space between herself and Ann who still clutched the Samuel in her arms.

Sister Margaret did not look impressed in the slightest, as the young nun who followed her into the room began apologising profusely, to both women and even little Samuel, when she took in his red blotchy features, the product of his obvious distress at having been separated from his sister.

Anne felt like she could breathe properly again once the little girl was placed in her arms, and she immediately walked over to Ann and Samuel, letting them see the little one up close.

Samuel’s little hand reached out and rest on top of Anne’s which fixed the blanket up around her chin. Ann leant over to leave a lingering kiss to the little one’s forehead and Anne released another sigh, this time one of relief.

“Let’s get on with the paperwork, shall we?” Anne spoke aloud, it was a rhetorical question, her eyes not leaving the little girl in her arms for even a second, as she softly brushed her forefinger over the fine dark hair.

The young nun stood stunned at Anne’s tone of voice, as she watched her superior shake her head and mumble something under her breath just before exiting the room once more, this time to get the paperwork.

The next hour and twenty five minutes passed in a blur. Anne’s sole focus on either one, or both, of the children. Mary-Ann sat on her lap whilst Samuel leant against her side, his hand clutching at Anne’s arm whilst he watched with avid-attention as Ann scanned through page after page of parchment, before signing her name for the final time.

If Sister Margaret _did_ notice that Ann signed each time with Miss A Lister, whereas the cheque stated Miss A Walker, she didn’t mention it, which Anne counted as a win in her books, as she really didn’t want to inconvenience Ann and the children with getting arrested for horsewhipping an old woman black and blue.

Anne stared at the little girl in her arms curiously. She watched as the little one’s eyes sparkled with fascination, and the way her little chubby hand reached up to poke her curled hair either side of her face.

The sound of a chair being dragged across the wooden floor broke Anne from her reverie, as she saw her wife pull away from the desk and reach over to take the little one from her arms.

The beaming grin and content little sigh that fell from Ann’s lips, as the tiny brunette was placed in her arms, is something Anne is positive she’ll never forget.

Sister Margaret handed Ann a copy, which Anne dutifully placed into her wife’s purse for her, as the blonde was too distracted with the little girl in her arm’s to notice.

“That’s it?” Anne asked, brow raised as she addressed the elderly woman sat across from them.

A single solemn nod from the nun had a grin sweep across Anne’s face.

Anne picked her top hat up off the floor and placed it on Samuel’s head before picking him up, and Ann giggled as watched the little boy peek out from under the rim of the hat.

Neither of them spared a single glance back as Sister Margaret showed them out.

“Are you hungry?” Anne asked Samuel as she placed him on his feet and took back her top-hat, placing it on her head.

Upon Sam’s little nod in response, Anne reached her hand out for him to take, which he did without a second thought. His little fingers wrapping around Anne’s own.

Ann’s heart swelled with affection at the sight of her wife and little boy, chatting away as they crossed the street, headed in the direction of their hotel. The little girl in her arms cuddled into her chest, Ann’s knees going weak at the content little sigh she heard escape the little one’s lips.

Anne waited on the other side of the road for her wife to catch up, both exchanging exuberant smiles at the thought of what their future now had in store for them, not just together, but as a _family_.

* * *

For those of you who've been following this story but don't have/follow me on tumblr, here's a link to pictures of how I imagine the children to look like, and some head-canon's behind the photographs. [*click*](https://ladygayfeels.tumblr.com/post/186164179330/for-those-of-you-following-my-fic-god-gave-us)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to this has been overwhelmingly positive and I couldn't be more thankful!
> 
> Thank you everyone whose read this and fallen as in love with Samuel and his sister as I have.
> 
> I had no clue that this 'little idea I had' would be embraced so well, it really means a lot!
> 
> Many of you have asked/(begged) if I'll carry on after 3 chapters, and whilst this particular point of their story ends with Chapter 3, I will definitely write them again, at Shibden, all the antics they get up to, I'm just as smitten with these kids as the Ann(e)'s are! So, keep a look out!
> 
> Thanks again for reading, I really do hope you've enjoyed it! - M

**Author's Note:**

> As always, leave a comment and let me know what you think?


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